Saturday Road Test – Volvo XC60 T6 Inscription – It Coddles You

POINT OF ROCKS, MD. – A stretch break after a long day behind the wheel. As I walked around the classic old train station here I realized how great the seats were in this wagon.

No big surprise really, since Volvo has had about the best seats in the business for years. But these 8-way adjustable, leather clad chairs with 3-position memory were exceptional. And if you want heat for your cold bottom on a frosty morning, believe me, you will not keep it on the highest heat setting for very long. Go quickly back to setting #1 of three. But they do test these cars in the Arctic.

When it comes to comfort I gave this Volvo with the never ending name my highest rating – I would be ready tomorrow to take it cross country stopping for good only at that barrier known as the Pacific Ocean.

And how times have changed. Remember when any hot Detroit iron had a big V8, in fact HAD to have a V8, if were to be seriously considered as a performance car.

Remember the 1968 Chevy Nova SS with a 396 cubic inch V8 good for 375 horsepower and a 0-60 in 5.9 tire burning seconds?

Skip forward today. Volvo has scrubbed its five cylinder engine in favor of a four. A 2.0-liter four that is both turbo charged and supercharged. A total of 302 horsepower @ 5,700 rpm and 295 lb-ft or torque at 2,100 rpm. A 0-60 in about 6.5 seconds.

Today’s technology has given us a four cylinder engine that lags the Chevy by about a half second, with half the cylinders – something that would not even be a dream when the SS Nova was doing its thing.

Matched to an 8-speed automatic, the Volvo felt quick in all aspects of driving. Particularly with a foot to the floor pass of an aging semi loping along a rural road.

Of course the All-Wheel Drive would come in handy in areas where Old Man Winter is not ready to cede the turf to the sweetness of spring.

Officials at EPA rate the combo at 20 mpg city, 27 highway, and 22 mpg combined. I think I was having too much fun with the turbos and came in at 19.6 mpg. It runs on premium unleaded.

Was the Volvo perfect? No, but what car is? Some additional sound proofing would be welcome and perhaps a slight softening of the ride quality that was a tad on the stiff side.

Also in keeping with Volvo’s reputation for safety, there was all the expected equipment on the test wagon including a $2,500 Advanced Package, with Adaptive Cruise Control, Collision Warning, Pedestrian/Cyclist Detection, Distance and Driver alerts, a hyper Lane Departure Warning, and road sign information.

No surprise that the XC60 received a top five star rating in government crash tests.

The interior was easy on the eyes with elegant wood trim and an overall feel of Swedish Modern. A rather large sunroof was most welcome when there was a touch of warm weather. The rear seats were comfortable, but leg room was a bit on the short side if the front passenger reclines his or her seat.

There is an abundant 67 cubic feet of storage space with the second row seats folded, or 30.8 cubes with them up.

And Volvo is not done with the XC60 yet, despite the fact that it is the brand’s best seller. A new XC60 was introduced to the world at the Geneva Auto Show.

Brand new is a plug-in Hybrid delivering 407 horsepower and a 0-62 mph in just 5.3 seconds. The turbo and supercharged four continues and picks up some horsepower to 320.